NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



"vinks," attack the ripening grain in vast flocks. It 

 must never be forgotten that, with very few exceptions, 

 seed-eating birds prey largely on insect life and feed 

 their young on it, consequently it will usually prove 

 more economical for us to take intelligent measures to 

 protect our newly-sown seed and our ripening crops 

 other than by the old method of destroying the birds. 

 If you grudge your bird labourer his hire, or if you 



think he takes too large 

 a wage for the services 

 he renders, then outwit 

 and scare him off when 

 he comes for his pay, 

 and only take extreme 

 measures as a final resort. 

 To prevent birds 

 eating the newly-sown 

 seed in gardens, dress it 

 with red lead. Place the 

 seeds in an earthenware 

 basin and cover them 

 with water, stir well, and drain off the water. Then put 

 powdered red lead in a tin sprinkler, such as an old 

 Keating's insect powder tin, and thoroughly dust the 

 wet seeds with the red lead, and stir and turn the seeds 

 vigorously. Sow the seeds as soon as dry. The red 

 lead method is useful for any kind of smooth-skinned 

 seed which is not too small. Sprinkling seed with 

 paraffin is another method often used. When the 

 plants appear above ground, black threads may be 

 stretched lattice fashion on pegs 6 inches high across 



280 



A Leaf blighted by small caterpillars. 



